Jaguars expecting warm welcome on trip to Houston

Jaguars expecting warm welcome on trip to Houston

Associated Press photo by PAT SULLIVAN -- Blue skies and sunshine replace the early rain over Reliant Stadium before a game between the Texans and Packers on Oct. 14, 2012. The stadium, now known as NRG Stadium, hosts LSU and Wisconsin on Saturday.

The Southern Jaguars are just days away from hopping on Interstate 10 and heading west to Houston for what the football program hopes to be the first of three trips to the Space City.

Southern is set to kick off at 7 p.m. Friday against Houston in Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, on ESPN3.com.

The Jaguars also play at Texas Southern on Nov. 1. Then there’s a possible return trip to Reliant Stadium at the end of the season for the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game.

Houston is connected in many ways to Southern athletics. Not only is it a hotbed for recruiting, there is also a well-established alumni association in the city.

“Playing a game in Houston has tremendous value for our program,” Athletic Director William Broussard said. “Houston is not only an area where our athletic department recruits pretty heavily for student-athletes, but also the university. We have a robust alumni base in Houston, and it’s the largest Southern University alumni base outside the state of Louisiana.

“It’s a great game for a lot of our fans to be able to see to open the year to begin building the excitement for the season.”

Coach Dawson Odums said the opening game puts a spotlight on his team.

“It’s great for the young men to come out of the gates and play against a major Division I institution,” Odums said. “A lot of the kids didn’t have that opportunity (to play Division I football).”

Junior linebacker Detrane Lindsey and senior defensive end Dion Palmer, both Houston natives, are particularly excited about both the opportunity and the chance to return home.

“It means a lot to play in Houston,” Lindsey said. “We can’t wait to do our thing in front of our home crowd, in front of our friends and family, and make everyone proud.”